The Best Burger in L.A. for Every Budget

Welcome to L.A. Week 2016. To celebrate the rich culinary life of Los Angeles, we’ll be running special features all week that explore the city’s ever-evolving food scene—from its classic tacos, to its offbeat icons. Follow along on Twitter @firstwefeast.

L.A.’s burger supremacy goes far beyond its Instagram stars—of which there are many. It’s a living, breathing legacy that dates back to the post-WWII boom when drive-thru culture exploded, setting the stage for thousands of griddles to perfume the vast stretch of urban sprawl. Unsurprisingly, Los Angeles still earns bragging rights for hosting the most hamburger restaurants in the country.

“L.A. is a city where, historically, you eat burgers in your car,” says George Motz, author of Hamburger America. “Burgers were wrapped in wax paper, which became iconic of L.A.’s scene. It just evokes driving culture.”

You’ll find vestiges of that era at places like In-N-Out, and old-school lunch counters such as Apple Pan and Pie N’ Burger—two eastside-westside equivalents that honor the tradition with simple, thin patties.

Yet even if L.A.’s burger scene is founded on these principles, there is much to be explored—and debated—about the merits of beef and bun. Can you fairly pit Ludo Lefebvre’s foie-Bordelais masterpiece against Apple Pan’s timeless charm? Belcampo may preach meat ethics, but can it really stand up to In-N-Out’s clever Animal-style flourish? As L.A. chefs continue to blaze their own path and up the ante for the city’s dining culture, the burger’s blank-canvas quality inevitably makes it the perfect specimen for innovation.

With so much patty excellence to parse, a normal “best burger” guide won’t cut it. Instead of comparing roadside smashburgers to dry-aged steakhouse behemoths, you need to consider the best available burger at various price points, balancing the playing field for arguments about sourcing, burger blends, and other nifty upgrades.

A couple things worth mentioning: Burger prices reflect a pre-tax and pre-tip price tag since not all places (e.g., In-N-Out) require you to leave a tip. Fries are only included if they automatically come with the burger.

1. Cheeseburger at In-N-Out

The beauty of In-N-Out’s original cheeseburger isn’t in its namesake ingredients. If you’re looking to be blown away by meat and cheese, spend the extra 115 cents and get a Double Double. But the OG 1/8lb patty and single slice of melty American cheese lets In-N-Out’s institutional values come to the fore. The iceberg—a.k.a., the most under-respected lettuce in the game—is always cool and crunchy, the tomatoes are uncannily ripe, the bun is appropriately butter-saturated, and the ratio of Thousand Island spread to other ingredients is at its highest. There’s value beyond the bun here as well: A meal at In-N-Out offers an inside look at how America ate burgers in a pre Super Size Me era.—Josh Scherer

2. Double Double at In-N-Out

In-N-Out isn’t merely a standard-bearer of fast-food burgers—it’s a spiritual center that beckons millions of visitors who touchdown at LAX to head straight to its drive-thru. Without question, the beating heart of the enterprise is the Double Double—two thin patties topped with crisp iceberg and American cheese, relying on a formula that harkens back to the original Ur-burger of SoCal. Considering that the franchise runs its own commissary, ensuring that every step of the patty-making process is under their purview (yes, some require updates), and that you can give it a game-changing flourish by ordering it Animal-style free of charge, there may not be more value in a burger anywhere in the city, let alone the state. A Double Double is a rite of passage, not only for the experience of tasting secret sauce mixed with beefy, mustard-griddled goodness, but also understanding a city’s identity at large.—Justin Bolois

3. Cheeseburger at Irv's

This West Hollywood institution started out as a tiny walk-up burger stand only a few blocks west near Sweetzer, but the forces of real estate pushed current owner Sonia Hong out of the historically significant location. Thankfully, she reopened and continues to serve the same cheeseburger that her ardent following has come to crave. Ask for "everything" and get a mighty two-fister with iceberg, onion, tomato, mustard, mayo, pickles, and a smashed-thin, fresh-beef patty draped with American cheese and cradled inside a toasted, squishy bun. Few burger operations subscribe to Irv's basic philosophy, and few owners possess the charm of Sonia, who employs a rainbow of sharpies to render a drawing of your t-shirt on the paper plate your burger arrives on. Get to know her and personal notes on the plate are soon to follow.—George Motz

4. Fastburger at Belcampo

When Belcampo butcher shop arrived to Los Angeles in 2014, founder Anya Fernald's message of sustainable, organic beef was quickly adopted by the masses. The prices, of course, reflected the commitment to raising livestock on a farm with a humane slaughter facility near Mount Shasta. Which is why the Fastburger stunned burger enthusiasts—a fast-food inspired, three-ounce patty, with an affordable entry point for sampling some of America's finest beef. Featuring a dry-aged, grass-fed grind, the $5 sandwich has an intensely strong, beefy flavor that one would normally associate with a upper-echelon steakhouse version. A bun-and-patty combo with this pedigree is a true rarity at such a low price point.—Katherine Spiers

5. Marty's Combo at Marty's Hamburger Stand

Marty’s is "Home of the Combo," one of the most basic ideas oddly not replicated around the country. Dreamed up in the 1950s by a regular, it consists of a burger patty served with a sliced hot dog on top—one meaty package combining two classic American emblems. Marty's is one of the last surviving walk-up burger stands in Los Angeles, a bright blue-and-orange operation wedged in between a fire house and a gas station. Despite its cramped quarters, it also serves some of the best no-frills, thin-patty beef around. Stick your head into the stand’s front window and you’ll be within inches of the hot griddle where the action takes place. The Combo adds the familiar garlic and salt spice of a hot dog to a time-honored SoCal cheeseburger. Unwrap the waxed paper and eat the damn thing right there on the sidewalk with L.A. traffic whizzing by—it's a truly liberating food experience.—George Motz

6. The Hickoryburger at Apple Pan

To enter this Westside icon is to drift back to a time before the hamburger began a decline into fast-food frozen pucks. The plaid wallpaper, the servers in white-paper caps, and the horseshoe counter with red-leather stools scream Americana. Today, a burger will set you back $7.65, which is not cheap, but you can rest easy knowing you are helping to keep a Los Angeles institution chugging along. The only problem you’ll have here (other than a short wait for a spot at the counter) is deciding which of the two burgers to consume—the Hickoryburger or the Steakburger, both equally classic and delicious. The Hickory comes with a crisp wedge of iceberg lettuce, pickles, mayo, and a signature barbecue sauce on a toasted bun that replaces the sweet relish you'll find on the Steakburger. The foundation for the burgers is the same griddled fresh-beef patty the Apple Pan has been serving for almost 70 years. So elbow into a counter spot and do your part for hamburger preservation.—George Motz

7. Cheeseburger at Pie 'N Burger

Just as The Apple Pan serves as the spiritual home of the burger in West L.A., Pie ‘N Burger flies the flag for the old-school, lunch-counter patty out east in Pasadena. Both SoCal legends appear in George Motz’s Hamburger America, and both restaurants inspire a nostalgic sense of burger lore thanks to iconic patties and servers that have been around for decades. Pie 'N Burger's version boasts a crisp wad of iceberg, a toasted bun that’s crunchy at the edges, and a nicely charred, griddled patty like its counterpart, but what sets it apart is the generous slathering of creamy 1000 Island dressing that pools at the bottom of the white wrapper. Be sure to finish the time-honored burger experience with a towering slice of streusel-topped Dutch apple pie.—Erin Mosbaugh

8. Cheeseburger at Eggslut

Everyone knows Alvin Cailan is the undisputed champion of scrambling, frying, poaching, and coddling, but the Eggslut maestro is also cooking up some exceptional burgers. The menu at his heavily Instagrammed breakfast joint flips over to lunch at 11:30am, when he starts griddling ⅓-pound Snake River Farms ground-beef patties. Seriously—how many burgers that name drop a farm can you get for less than $10? A well-buttered brioche bun acts as the perfect sponge for soaking up the depraved amalgam of beef juice, runny egg yolk, and dijonnaise. Only ordering avocado toast feels more L.A. than waiting in line for 45 minutes at a food hall.—Josh Scherer

9. Simple Burger at Everson Royce Bar

The first thing you notice about the number one dish at E.R.B. (short for Everson Royce Bar) is the size. It’s compact, almost cute, in a way that’s refreshingly approachable. Elsewhere that could be code for wimpy, which would be bogus for a $10 dish. Not here. The E.R.B. burger was designed—and we mean designed—by former Mozza executive chef Matt Molina, who relies on his pal Nancy Silverton’s signature meat blend (an 80/20 mix of super-prime chuck) that he gets from premier beef supplier Huntington Meats. A tidy four ounces of the flavorful stuff stars alongside a slather of a house-made dijonnaise, straight-up Tillamook cheddar, pickles, and a brioche bun griddled to the edge of burned. Sounds simple, right? Yeah, simple like gravity. Devour one and walk away slayed, but not destroyed.—Lesley Bargar Suter

10. 1/3lb Cheeseburger with Bacon at Cassell's Hamburgers

The reopening of Cassell’s in late 2014 was a fairly big deal for burger hounds in L.A., who had come to love the freshly ground meat of this Koreatown institution when it first opened shop in 1948. Today's reincarnation ditches the original salad bar/cottage cheese set-up, but still subscribes to the honorable principles set forth by the late Al Cassell. Like their predecessor, the new guard grinds whole muscles for its chuck-and-brisket blend, which gives the beef a coarse, steak-like grind. For a more authentically mid-century California experience, opt for the 1/3lb burger, which is served on a La Brea Parker House bun sturdy enough to absorb the grease. In this case, you'll want to spring for the bacon add-on, which is sourced from the esteemed Beeler's farm in Iowa and perfumes with the beef with a clean cherry smoke.—Katherine Spiers

11. Hook Burger at Connie & Ted's

While Michael Cimarusti’s West Hollywood seafood shack has earned a reputation for its stellar raw bar, the oysters are nothing but a prelude to the main event: the Hook Burger, named after the four-year-old cheddar that sheaths the beef. The eight-ounce patty is blended from the holy trinity of aged chuck, sirloin, and brisket, and cooked to a perfect medium-rare. With beef and cheese this good, you don’t want any over-the-top accouterment; instead, you want textural harmony and balanced flavors. In the Hook Burger’s case, the package is completed by squishy sesame seed-covered bun, crunchy iceberg, and tangy Thousand Island dressing. (Fun fact: Last time we were at Connie & Ted’s eating a burger, Kenny fucking Powers strolled in.)—Erin Mosbaugh

12. Grassfed Burger at Preux & Proper

As co-author of American Burger Revival, chef Samuel Monsour literally wrote the book on burgers. And all that institutional knowledge gets dropped in the middle of a sesame bun at Downtown’s NOLA-style restaurant Preux & Proper. It’s a six-ounce patty griddled to a hot pink medium, then topped with a mound of house-made pimento cheese, bread-and-butter pickles, Creole mustard, and bacon ends. You’re expecting the melty, funky pimento cheese to be play hero, but the real key is the bacon. Thick-cut ends are finely chopped and lubed up with their own grease so that they deploy little bits of pork fat-filled joy to each bite. It makes you wonder why this technique hasn’t been adopted at every burger joint across the country. Preux & Proper also make moonshine slurpies, and nothing pairs with a greasy burger quite like grain alcohol.—Josh Scherer

13. Griddled Cheeseburger at Ledlow

There’s been a huge backlash in the culinary world against the term elevate. It has become a dirty word that implies food was total shit before chef Trend McSetter got his hands on it. But in the case of Ledlow, where Josef Centeno is indeed “elevating” Americana classics, we ask you to momentarily refrain from judgment. The quarter-pound patty has all the charred crust of a classic diner smashburger, but the inside is still a pink medium and tastes overwhelmingly beefy. It gets topped with both American and cheddar cheeses, lending key meltiness from the former, and something that actually tastes like cheese from the latter. Cold iceberg lettuce and razor-thin raw red onion remind you of In-N-Out at first bite, but instead of sweet Thousand Island, you get punched in the face by a horseradish Dijon aioli. Add an extra patty for $2 more (totally worth it).—Josh Scherer

14. Dry-Aged Beef Burger at Republique

A $15 burger that's available only at lunch and brunch is not exactly the most user-friendly deal in town. But when you're sitting in the airy Republique dining room at midday, the master plan quickly reveals itself: Walter Manzke's dry-aged patty is a drop-dead stunner, best consumed with a cheeky rosé in your glass and Instagram-friendly natural light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. To create his knife-speared meat fest, the chef walks a tight-rope between two great burger traditions: Classic elements like American cheese, iceberg, and Thousand Island channel In-N-Out, while the umami-rich beef flavor and thick slabs of tomato are cribbed from the steakhouse playbook. Where lesser chefs would fall, Manzke soars.—Erin Mosbaugh

15. Boner Burger at Animal

Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo’s Boner Burger harkens back to the genre's origins with its patty-melt form, but as the name suggests, its appeal is even more primitive: Sex, red meat, and animal instincts between two slices of marbled rye. The rich-and-fatty beef blend combines house-ground chuck with short rib and bone marrow to create a meat gusher that explodes juices onto your plate—as well as your hands and limbs. The burger is cloaked in melted jack cheese and sweet caramelized onions, then swabbed in mustardy “420 sauce” to cut through all that fat. And the flourishes don't end there: Grilled poblanos nod to New Mexican burger traditions, while the Diamond Bakery rye evokes the Jewish delicatessens that line the Fairfax corridor. Pro tip: The burger is only listed on the brunch menu, but you can and should order it for dinner as an off-menu item.)—Erin Mosbaugh

16. Big Mec at Petit Trois

Ludo’s Big Mec is the Franco-American love child of beef, cheese, red wine, and foie. When the chef teased the burger on his Instagram last year, his caption read: “Because I like burger, next week at Petit Trois!! French Sandwich.” That was enough to send Los Angeles into a Big Mec feeding frenzy. This double cheeseburger—inspired by the one Ludo ate in Chicago at Au Cheval in Chicago—consists of two coarse-ground four-ounce patties covered with melted cheddar, an aioli-like garlicky “special sauce,” and foie gras-infused Bordelaise sauce, which pools at the bottom of the plate and soaks into the soft and buttery Bread Bar bun. Seventeen-dollar burgers often disapoint with uneccesary flourishes, but the luxe French-ness of the Big Mec—and the fact that it’s so rich you will probably want to share it with your dining companion—makes it a worthwhile investment.—Erin Mosbaugh

17. Butchered Burger at Baltaire

Brentwood isn’t considered a burger haven by any stretch of the imagination, but Baltaire—a ritzy steakhouse filled with suit-and-tied power lunchers—is making us reconsider the area's bonafides with its Butchered Burger. Using coarse-ground prime chuck, short rib, and brisket, chef Travis Strickland loosely packs his blend into a patty, producing an experience akin to eating char-grilled beef tartare. The meat is slicked with a schmear of classic French gribiche—pretty much an herb-studded deviled-egg puree—that evokes the ultimate high-low, grimy-classy steakhouse burger experience that you’re happy to pay $18 for. The suit at the table next to you chowing down on a $60 rib-eye doesn’t know what he’s missing.—Josh Scherer

18. Pub Burger at Hungry Cat

The Pug Burger is a meaty middle finger to burger purists. It is a towering beast stacked with a half-pound patty made from Niman Ranch chuck, Danish bleu cheese, house-smoked bacon, avocado, red onion, and lettuce, as well as a fried egg if you opt for it (and for this meat orgy, you definitely should splurge). A little voice inside your head tells you to hate this burger because of its monolithic, somewhat cumbersome form. But its unapologetic stance is impossible to deny: pungent cheese, chewy and smoky bacon, and an impeccably charred, juicy patty. Be sure to take what remains of the sturdy bun—it comes from Suzanne Goin’s Larder—and use it to soak up the meat juices that will have inevitably mixed with egg yolk and bleu cheese on your plate. Yes, The Hungry Cat is primarily a seafood restaurant, and yes, its burger is absurdly over-the-top. Should that stop you from crushing one every time you go there? Definitely not.—Erin Mosbaugh

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